@article {160479, title = {Global selection on insect antipredator coloration.}, journal = {Science}, volume = {389}, year = {2025}, month = {2025 Sep 25}, pages = {1336-1341}, abstract = {

Natural selection has repeatedly led to the evolution of two alternative antipredator color strategies-camouflage to avoid detection and aposematism to advertise unprofitability-but we lack understanding of how ecological context favors one strategy over the other. We conducted a globally replicated predation experiment at 21 sites on six continents to test how predator community, prey community, and visual environment influenced the predation risk of 15,018 artificial paper "moth" prey with cryptic or warning coloration. Results indicated that aposematic strategies fare better in environments with low predation intensity, whereas camouflage strategies are advantaged when other camouflaged prey species are rare and when light levels are low. This study demonstrates how multiple mechanisms shape antipredator strategies, helping to explain the evolution and global distribution of camouflaged and aposematic animals.

}, keywords = {Animals, Biological Evolution, Biological Mimicry, Color, Ecosystem, Insecta, Pigmentation, Predatory Behavior, Selection, Genetic}, issn = {1095-9203}, doi = {10.1126/science.adr7368}, author = {Medina, Iliana and Exnerov{\'a}, Alice and Da{\v n}kov{\'a}, Kl{\'a}ra and Penacchio, Olivier and Sherratt, Tom N and Albrecht, Tom{\'a}{\v s} and Baidya, Sarika and Bosque, Renan Janke and Brown, H{\'e}lo{\"\i}se and Burdfield-Steel, Emily and Cain, Kristal E and Cez{\'a}rio, Rodrigo Roucourt and Chiari, Ylenia and Esquivel, Carolina and Ferreira, Rhainer Guillermo and Franklin, Amanda M and Garvey, Aloise and Guchu, Samuel and Hastings, Brandon T and Hotov{\'a}-Sv{\'a}dov{\'a}, Kate{\v r}ina and Hwang, Yerin and Kang, Changku and Kasaya, John and Kelley, Jennifer and Kim, Yongsu and Kunte, Krushnamegh and Daetto-Liberato, Felipe and Loeffler-Henry, Karl and Lopez, Vinicius Marques and MacKay-Dietrich, Claire and Mappes, Johanna and De M{\'a}rsico, Mar{\'\i}a Cecilia and Nawge, Viraj and Njoroge, Peter and Nokelainen, Ossi and Pal, Arka and Paul, Archan and Posont, Robert and Ra{\v s}ka, Jan and Reboreda, Juan Carlos and Rojas Ripari, Juan Manuel and Rowland, Hannah M and Sabio, Maria de Las Nieves and Salazar, Camilo and Salgado-Roa, Fabian C and Stephens-C{\'a}rdenas, Steve A and Szab{\'o}, Anita and Mongui Torres, Juan Pablo and Troscianko, Jolyon and Truhl{\'a}{\v r}ov{\'a}, Marie and Umbers, Kate D L and Venton, Molly and Vitasovich, Makenzie and Wang, Lu-Yi and Weil, Sarah-Sophie and Allen, William L} } @article {152137, title = {Description of Protosticta khasia sp. nov. and Yunnanosticta siangi sp. nov., with new records of P. samtsensis Gurung \& Phan, 2023 from Northeast India (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae).}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {5448}, year = {2024}, month = {2024 May 13}, pages = {348-370}, abstract = {

Protosticta Selys is a genus of damselflies of the family Platystictidae Kennedy found in forests of tropical Southeast Asia. The genus Protosticta has rarely been reported from Northeast India. In this paper, we describe Protosticta khasia sp. nov. (subfamily Protostictinae Dijkstra et al.) based on holotype male and paratype female collected from Maraikaphon, East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya, India. Protosticta khasia can be identified by the markings of the prothorax and the shape of the male paraproct with two arms. We also describe Yunnanosticta siangi sp. nov. (subfamily Sinostictinae Wilson) from Arunachal Pradesh, India, based on two males and two females. This species is differentiated from its congeners by the thoracic and abdominal markings as well as the shape of male caudal appendages. The key for males of Yunnanosticta is provided. Additionally, we provide new records of Protosticta samtsensis Gurung \& Phan, along with an updated key to the Protosticta species of Northeast India.

}, keywords = {Animal Distribution, Animal Structures, Animals, Body Size, Ecosystem, Female, India, Male, Odonata, Organ Size}, issn = {1175-5334}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5448.3.2}, author = {Joshi, Shantanu and Sarkar, Vivek and Sawant, Dattaprasad and Pawar, Ujwala and Kunte, Krushnamegh} } @article {152136, title = {Two new taxa of brush-footed butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, southern India.}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {5543}, year = {2024}, month = {2024 Dec 04}, pages = {343-367}, abstract = {

A new species, Amathusia travancorica sp. nov. (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Amathusiini), and a new subspecies, Athyma inara sahyadriensis ssp. nov. (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae: Limenitidini), are described from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India, based on multiple male and female specimens. The new taxa are compared with type specimens of related species and subspecies, revealing consistent differences that distinguish the new taxa. Genitalia dissections are also provided as comparative materials. Additional information is provided on historical records, distributional ranges, habits and habitat, phenology, larval host plants, and early stages. Finally, the type locality and synonymy of Pantoporia mera Swinhoe, 1917 are discussed based on comparison of type specimens (Pantoporia mera Swinhoe, 1917 syn. nov.=Athyma inara Westwood, 1850).

}, keywords = {Animal Distribution, Animal Structures, Animals, Biodiversity, Body Size, Butterflies, Ecosystem, Female, India, Larva, Male, Organ Size}, issn = {1175-5334}, doi = {10.11646/zootaxa.5543.3.3}, author = {Kunte, Krushnamegh and Basu, Dipendra Nath} }